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Lady Panthers pull away late to win Hume Invitational
Nevada Daily Mail
The Sheldon Lady Panthers defeated the Hume Lady Hornets 30-15 to win the Hume Junior High Basketball Invitational.
The Saturday night victory capped a 13-1 season for Sheldon, while Hume finishes 8-8.
Both teams started slowly, with the game knotted 4-4 after one quarter of play.
With 4:24 to play in the second quarter Sheldon guard Nici Hites was sent to the line, where she knocked down both free throws to give the Lady Panthers a 6-4 lead.
Hume tied the score at six apiece via a Deborah Yarick mid-range jumper with 4:05 to play in the first half.
Sheldon responded with a 3-0 run, starting with a free throw from point guard Mahalia Swink, followed by a Meckinize McCartney baseline jumper with 1:52 on the clock, as the Lady Panthers led 9-6.
The game continued back-and-forth, as Hume's Jaylyn Rogers sank 1-of-2 free throws, then banked a shot in with 27 seconds remaining in the half, tying the game 9-9.
Sheldon led 11-9 at halftime thanks to a Swink layup with 8 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Hume opened the second half strong, taking a 13-11 lead courtesy of a Yarick close-range bucket and a Mackinzi Harris offensive rebound and putback.
Late in the third quarter Hites tied the game 13-13 on a driving layup. With 1:18 to play in the third quarter Sheldon reclaimed the lead 15-13 with a Brooklyn O'Connor offensive rebound and lay-in.
On the other end Swink came up with a steal in the Hume back-court but was whistled for a hooking foul as she drove in for a layup.
After a cold start to the second half the Sheldon offense heated up in the fourth quarter. Twenty seconds into the final frame, Swink took an inbounds pass from underneath the basket and put it in for two points and a 17-13 Sheldon advantage.
The Lady Hornets trimmed the deficit to 17-14 as Yarick made 1-of-2 free throws.
The game then swung dramatically in Sheldon's favor. The wild sequence of events started with a Swink offensive rebound and off-balance jumper from 8-feet that swished through the net. Swink was also fouled on the shot.
Swink's free throw was off-target. The possession was kept alive as Swink saved the ball from going out of bounds ---- her pass kicking out to McCartney at the top of the key. McCartney squared up and let fly, banking in a 3-pointer to give Sheldon its largest lead of the night at 22-14 with 5:03 remaining in regulation.
"We were very strong in the fourth quarter," Lady Panthers head coach Syndi Edwards said. "Meckinize's 3-pointer was probably the pivotal point (in the game). After that, we started passing the ball better and getting better looks into the post."
Sheldon extended its lead to double-digits with an O'Connor bank shot from close-range for a 24-14 lead. The Lady Panthers ended the game on a 6-1 run for the final 15-point margin.
For Sheldon, Swink finished with a game-high 11 points, McCartney seven, O'Connor six, Hites four, and Mady Bogart two.
For Hume, Yarick scored a team-high five points, Kennedi Harris four, Jaylyn Rogers three, Mackinzi Harris two, and Cassidy Rogers one.
Hume head coach Scott Morrison said Sheldon played excellent defense.
"They got man pressure on us," Morrison said. "And we didn't handle it well."
Morrison said he credits Sheldon for its ability to attack the basket,
"They're big and physical and got into the lane, made some baskets and got out to a lead," he said.
Morrison said he was pleased with his team's play, especially through three quarters.
"We were protecting the lane and getting out on the shooter, stopping the drive," he said. "It kept us in the game, and then it just got away from us in the fourth quarter."
Morrison said he was proud of his team's effort against Sheldon as they finished runner-up in the tournament. The Lady Hornets road to the championship game included victories over Rich Hill and Butler.
"We improved throughout the season," he said.
Morrison was thrilled with the play of his squad in the semifinals against Butler. Morrison said his team keyed on Butler's leading scorer Mackaylea Wareham, holding her to one point. In the previous game Wareham dropped in 16 points.
"We denied (Wareham) the ball the whole game," he said.